March 28, 2020

So much has happened since early this year,...way too much... and I have neglected to post...I will try to remedy that.

Let's just say that things were already chaotic for us before the Covid-19 pandemic started knocking on our country's door...

Due to my son being diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung and liver cancer in mid-January, and all that it entails - doctor visits, lab work, chemo treatment series, etc - we cannot just hunker down and quarantine, except for short periods of times, but we are taking all the precautions we need to take to try to ward off any infections.

Some of us garden, and some of us shop at the farmers markets, or our favorite supermarket...Some farmers markets have closed and some are converting to 'drive-by' locations, where you don't even have to get out of your car.

Since we can't go shopping as often now, sometimes we might buy a bit more of the fresh veggies than we normally would...and they might start spoiling before you get to use them all...here are some good storage tips I have found.

How to stop vegetables wilting when picked

Cut the green tops off vegetables like carrots, beets and parsnips before you put them in the fridge. These tops absorb moisture and are what hastens carrots and other root veg to go limp and bendy.

Some of the tender top leaves can be eaten of course, but do store them separately from their bottoms!

Do not wash lettuce or leafy greens before storing unless there is too much dirt, but if you do have to wash them, let them dry naturally before storing.

For root veggies, such as radishes, carrots, beetroots etc, I make sure they're as dry as possible, then break off the leaves near the crown first and store the roots sealed in veggie cloth bags and if I want to use the leaves I'll put them in a separate bag. Lettuce can last up to 2 weeks. Green beans are a little more difficult, let them dry before storing away

It's important to handle veggies carefully, as any bruising will go bad quickly. In cold seasons, it's fine to keep spare veggies out of fridge, but still I seal them up in bags. The main point to keep in mind is to keep the veggies cool and out of the sun or any direct heat.

I know putting some veggies like radishes in a bowl of cold water in fridge will keep them crisp, but be careful you don't nick the radishes, because some vitamins could leach out into the water. (Sonia note: my husband loved radishes...I would trim off the top and root end, wash well, and store in a glass jar filled with clean water to which I added salt. He would munch on them as if they were candy)

Wrap up

A good way to store celery and most brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, artichokles, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc., in the fridge is to wash (cut celery into long sticks) and wrap in slightly damp tea towel, then put into plastic bag removing as much air as possible. If you've got a large celery for example, wash and prepare it and keep half in plastic bag in fridge and the rest do the tea towel wrap thing. Once I went away for 4 weeks and this celery was as good as freshly picked!

I'll continue to share hints and tips on saving our fresh veggie purchases and any other advice I find to make these days a bit easier on us...

December 15, 2019

From April through September 2011 I participated as a blogger in a Home Farming Project sponsored by Nabisco / Triscuit Company at the Gather . com site. Some of my articles survived the cut when Gather was sold, some did not. I saved all the ones that did survive by sharing through this blog. This is the list of the gardening series that survived.

September 25, 2019

This is one of my columns that first appeared in the Hamakua Times of Honoka'a about 8 or 9 years ago...and I feel that it is still relevant...in fact, maybe more so now...

For many years I have been standing on any soap box available and telling anyone who will listen to plant edible gardens instead of large expanses of expensive lawns of grass in their yards that just sit there looking pretty, but costing huge amounts of money for fertilizers, weed killers and endless hours of mowing for no return…except just a pretty lawn.

Edible gardens can be as beautifully landscaped as any traditional ornamental gardens and provide the bonus of food grown by your own hands and you have the advantage of knowing exactly what went into growing that food.

I’ve been passing such a garden for several years on our way to and from a friend’s house up on Waikea Uka and have always wanted to stop but for some reason or another never did…until recently when I spotted “the farmer” working in his garden.

Ronald Kudo is an interesting and unassuming man who will tell you right out he was never a farmer; his parent’s were, but Ronald was never interested and preferred to play, drink and gamble. The family owned 10 acres of land ‘back in the day’ and his father kept cows, planted coffee, bananas and other crops, mostly for their own use.

Through the years, pieces of the land were sold and after his parents died, Ronald inherited the land that was left, which is still a very large piece of land and the house on the property.

Standing in the yard one day about 20 years ago, and looking at all the rocks in the front of the house, he just started to wonder what he could grow to make the large front yard look nicer. He loves colorful flowers and decided to try to his hand at growing some.

Not having paid any attention as he was growing up, he started not knowing exactly what to do, but he realized that the rocky front yard needed all the help he could give it, so he started moving rocks out and bringing in some of the rich soil from where the cows had been kept for years and mixing it all in.

Soon he had neat rows of colorful flowers and he started adding a few herbs and vegetables to his growing garden. After his retirement, the garden became his ‘place to go’ and he started spending more and more time weeding, planting and harvesting. Gardening gave him a sense of self and a way to give some meaning to his life; an awakening.

He doesn’t always have the same things growing, but through the years I’ve noticed besides the multi-colored petunias, portulaca and day lilies, several varieties of tomatoes, beautiful lettuces, and huge heads of cabbage; beans, rows and rows of onions, some squashes, sweet potatoes and he usually plants watermelons after March. He shares his harvest with his daughter, friends and neighbors.

At one time, I remember seeing beautiful rows of multicolor zinnias mixed in with the vegetable plantings.

On the day of my visit, I also met Ronald’s wife Jean, who joins him while working in the garden, but when asked, she said she mostly weeds and leaves the planting to him.

There are a few chickens that come to visit his garden from neighboring yards; he welcomes their presence since they will scratch and eat some of the harmful bugs and leave nice fertilizer behind.

When I commented about how beautiful and healthy his garden looked his response was “When you’re at peace with yourself your vegetables sense it and they thrive.”

As a parting gift, Ronald gave us a beautiful head of cabbage, bunches of green onions and some of the sweetest lettuce we’ve ever eaten.

Simple Cabbage and Carrot Slaw

This is a simple slaw and the dressing is quite healthy.

I like to slice the fresh cabbage in very thin slices then cut again to make the pieces bite-sized. I 'shave' the carrot off with a vegetable peeler. The dressing is Greek yogurt with honey and white vinegar. Just mix amounts to taste.

July 14, 2019

This article was originally published in the Hamakua Times of Honoka'a (August 2011 issue)

The mango season has me singing a song that originated in my birth island of Cuba. The original song words use ‘mambo’ instead of mango…and ‘que rico’ means ‘how delicious’ ….and we know that mangoes are now plentiful, at their peak and definitely onolicious!

In a column I wrote for The Hamakua Times in July of 1999, I mention that the mango (Mangifera indica) is probably a more important fruit in the tropics than the apple is in the temperate zones and has been in cultivation for at least 6,000 years.

In another column for this same newspaper, in August of 2000, I again write about mangoes and share that the mango is a relative of the cashew and pistachio trees and also to the poison ivy and poison oak vines which we’re very lucky to not have in the islands!

More mango facts:

*There are hundreds of species and varieties of mangoes grown throughout the world.

*Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A and contain large quantities of Vitamins B and C as well as potassium, iron, iodine and calcium.

*The top exporters of mangoes in the world are India, Pakistan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Israel, Peru and South Africa.

*Some people can develop severe skin rashes when in contact with any parts of the tree or fruit, same as if they touched poison ivy or poison oak vines.

Whether that last one is true or not, I will let the readers find out for themselves.

Mangoes have always been my most favorite fruit and when reading recipes using other fruits such as peaches, apricots and nectarines, I automatically think mangoes!

Mangoes can be eaten out of hand just plucked from the tree with juices running down your chin and arms or in what my grandmother would have considered a more civilized manner by peeling and dicing, cutting or slicing the fresh fruit; mixed in tropical fruit salads, as juice by itself or in tall refreshing mixed drinks; in pies, cheesecakes, tarts, cakes, smoothies, ice cream, pickles, chutneys, mousse and puddings, sauces, soups, jams and preserves and even used as an ingredient in cooked dishes.

Did you know?: *Mangoes have a practical application as a meat tenderizer. *The fruit is very high in Vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is considered a cancer-fighting agent. *Mangoes are said to be good for the kidneys, aid digestion, relieve clogged skin pores, reduce cysts and reduce excess body heat and fevers. *The mango flowers and sap also have medicinal uses, but there are many people allergic to the skin of the mango and the sap from the trees, but can eat a peeled fruit. *The leaves are toxic when digested.

Choosing and Storing: When choosing fresh mangoes make sure that the surface yields to gentle pressure and that there are no blemishes or dark and soft spots.

A ripe mango will yield a very noticeable fragrant aroma. If the mangoes are still hard and green when picked, place them in a brown paper bag on the counter for a few days to ripen. If picked too soon, they will not ripen properly and will smell and taste like turpentine.

A ripe mango can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

To freeze mangoes, just peel, seed and slice or cut in chunks and place in a freezer-proof plastic bag, taking care to extract all the excess air… or do as my mother used to do when we lived in Cuba and had more mangoes than we could consume… wash and freeze them whole. These can be used in recipes, or as we kids used to love to eat them, frozen and peeling with our teeth….they tasted like mango ice cream!

If you want to learn more about mangoes, celebrate the mango and taste all kine ono ways in which mangoes can be enjoyed, I invite you to attend the Hawaii Healing Garden & Mango Festival at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort this coming Saturday the 30th of July from 10 am to 5 pm.

Mango Bread Pudding

If you have only eaten plain bread puddings, you are missing great treats when combined with fruits. Serve hot or warm with your favorite tropical fruit sauce or the Mango Sauce recipe below.

Spray 8 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Break up bread into pan, tuck mango slices in between bread and sprinkle the chopped nuts all over.

Mix beaten eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla until all the egg breaks up and sugar is dissolved. Pour egg mixture over the bread and mangoes, dot with pieces of butter. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes. Note: Can be assembled night before and put in refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

(*) For a special treat, use Portuguese sweet bread.

Mango Sauce Try this over the bread pudding above, ice cream, angel food or pound cake. For an even greater taste explosion, try over a slice of chocolate cake! Excellent served with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp. This recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

1 ripe mango 1/2 to 1 cup fresh homemade lemonade

Peel the mango and remove flesh cutting off from around the stone. Combine mango pieces with the lemonade in a blender and process until smooth. If too thin, add more mangoes. If too thick, add a little bit more lemonade. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil, stirring with a whisk. Remove from heat and cool. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Habanero Chile Mango Ice Cream

Eat cautiously! It is deceptively cool at first, and absolutely delicious, but then........... hot, Hot, HOT!

The canned chicken, dried cherries, walnuts, were all from the box of food we receive once a month through one of the Senior programs from the Hilo Food Basket, and the green garden onions and Hawaiian Strawberry papaya were from the Food Basket 'Da Bus' 'farmers market' fresh food program. Basil from my garden.

June 11, 2019

I've written about mangoes before but mango season is again upon us and I'm surrounded by the lovely aroma of ripe mangoes.

Anyone who knows anything about me knows I LOVE mangoes with a passion... in any way, shape or form. Fresh and raw just off the tree, in recipes and any other way I can get them. When I read recipes or ideas using peaches or apricots, my mind immediately converts it to use with mangoes instead!

When I was visiting my sister one summer, a friend brought us a big bag of mangoes...

You can't appreciate the size from the photo, but these mangoes were huge and quite fragrant. The first two mangoes that were ready, I peeled and cut up and we ate fresh with some ice cream. As more mangoes ripened, I was peeling them to eat fresh, but the leftovers from the previous batches I cooked so they would not spoil.

To cook them, I just placed them in a saucepan with a bit of sugar (to your own taste). The sugar is mainly to give the cooked mango a slight gloss. These were so sweet I barely had to add any. Cook until the natural juices evaporate but don't let it get too dry.

I added a bit of Canton Ginger Liqueur at the last minute of cooking so the alcohol would not evaporate. The zippy ginger liqueur pairs very well with the cooked mango compote.

For a simple but delicious treat, just spoon some ginger liqueur infused mango compote over French Vanilla ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream as we did. It is also wonderful served over nice, big, fluffy Belgian waffles or slices of pound cake and topped with freshly made whipped cream.

Another treat to make with an excess of mangoes is popsicles

Mango Yogurt Popsicles

This is one my sister shared with me sometime ago.

2 medium mangoes, seeded and peeled

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 6 ounce cartons vanilla low fat yogurt

Popsicle molds (2-3 ounce size) or 4 ounce paper cups

Wooden craft sticks - some molds come with sticks

Yield: 6 – 12 popsicles, depending on size of mold. Mine yielded 4.

Combine mangoes, water, sugar and lemon juice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Add yogurt, cover and blend again until well combined. Transfer mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Cover and freeze for about 3 hours, stirring two or three times, until all edges are firm, but the center still soft.

Scrape the partially frozen mixture into a chilled mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixed on medium speed until smooth. Pour mixture into molds or paper cups. Cover with lids or foil; if using foil, use a table knife to make a slit in the center of each foil section to insert the wooden stick. Cover and freeze overnight. To serve, remove from mold or peel off paper cups.

Sonia’s note: When I made it, I did not bother to freeze in the dish the first time. I poured it directly into the Popsicle molds and it worked just fine.

*From my friends Diane in California and Deb in Georgia –Use a vegetable peeler and save the peel before juicing the lemons. Freeze the peels in small snack size bags. When lemon zest is needed, just take the needed amount out, defrost, mince and you will have fresh lemon zest to use in baking and all types of recipes.

The Meyer Lemon peels can be candied as well. They are really tasty and make pretty decorations for cup cakes, cakes, tarts, and other pastries (see my great-grandmother's recipe below)

The following are by Amy Scattergood Los Angeles Times Staff Writer in the January 16th, 2008 issue.

* Infuse your favorite olive oil with Meyer lemon peel: Warm a cup of olive oil and the peel from 2 lemons over very low heat for 15 minutes, then allow cooling for half an hour. Strain and pour into an antique bottle with a tight stopper.

1. Quarter the rinds.2. Soak in cold, salty water overnight.3. Pour all (rinds and salty water) into a boiler. Bring to a rolling boil.4. Pour off water and cover with tap water.5. Bring to another rolling boil.6. Repeat about 6 to 8 times (no salt, just water)7. Drain and cover heavily with sugar and cold water - continue to add sugar and water as it cooks down -- cook about 3? hours with lid off on low heat (or until cooked down). Turn with fork.8. Watch closely so it doesn't stick or burn on bottom.9. Take rinds out and put directly on a pan (no foil or wax paper)10. Turn occasionally while cooling.11. Sprinkle with sugar on each side.12. Let stand out overnight (not covered)13. Cut with scissors when it is getting dry -- put in a plastic sack with sugar and shake.This was not written down-- Mama (Nancy's mom, Kathy Griggs Pearson) just told from memory, thus the ? on cooking time.Delicious!

Sonia's note: I remember eating this made by my Grandmother Arla Genevieve fisher Harris, but never saw her make it!

ps...if I left this out overnight, uncovered, my kitchen would be crawling with ants and geckos trying to get to them!

March 26, 2018

Salads don’t have to be just lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with a store bought dressing. You can make a salad using almost anything fresh and raw or a few cooked veggies or roots by adding a few inspired ingredients.

Some fruits and legumes (peas, beans, and garbanzos) can also be added to salads if no meat is desired.

If a more robust salad is wanted, roasted chicken pieces, shrimp, grilled ‘ahi, or any other protein can be added, including sliced hard-boiled, coddled or poached eggs.

For a piquant taste, try adding a few pieces of watercress to a plain salad and notice how it will perk up the taste! Bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and heart of palm are also wonderful additions to any salad.

The papaya and chicken combination is one I enjoy very much. I think the flavors complement each other quite well and this recipe also fits in with the large Asian influence in Hawaii.

The following ingredients make a large quantity. Of course, you may cut it in half. It might yield 8 to 10 portions served as a luncheon entree.

Chicken & Ramen Slaw Salad in Papaya Boats

1 large and firm head of cabbage, cut as fine as slaw

2 bunches green onions, chopped with some green included

3 cups diced chicken, no bigger than 1/2 inch

3 packages of chicken flavored Ramen noodles, crushed

2 handfuls sliced almonds

1 package Cranraisins or dried cranberries

Combine all ingredients and add the dressing. Mix well for tastes to blend. It tastes better if left in refrigerator, covered for at least an hour or two for all the flavors to meld.

Serve in papaya halves which have been peeled and seeded. Sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds on top.

If not using cranraisins, you can use golden raisins instead.

Sesame Dressing

1 cup vegetable salad oil

16 Tablespoons rice vinegar

4 Tablespoons sesame oil

4 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 flavor packets of the chicken flavored Ramen noodle seasoning

Mix all ingredients whisking briskly until sugar and the seasonings from the Ramen packets are thoroughly dissolved.

The above is doubled the amount I usually make. The dressing should be stored in clean glass bottle.

Chicken, Papaya & Strawberry Salad with Surinam Cherry Vinaigrette

This beautiful and taste salad is made with fresh greens from our garden: lettuces, mizuna, mitsuba, sweet basil and Dawn Dewa 'spinach', roasted chicken breast cut in small pieces, Caribbean papaya, cut in small chunks and sliced fresh strawberries. I drizzled a bit of the Surinam Cherry Vinaigrette and sprinkled with a bit of chopped and toasted macadamia nuts.

Surinam Cherry Vinaigrette

The vinegar from these cherries is a beautiful ruby red in color. Yields approximately 2 cups.

To add color, I sprinkle the petals from both one yellow and one orange marigold. I added the cooked, julienne bamboo shoots and about a tablespoon size piece of chevre.

For dressing, I use a vinaigrette I make with white vinegar, garlic cloves and ginger slices. It is so easy to make I never let this one run out! Keep the garlic cloves and slices of ginger in the bottle and add more vinegar as needed. The vinegar will acquire the taste for months, so one batch of the garlic and ginger will last a while.

Heart of Palm and Garden Salad

1 piece about 2 inches fresh heart of palm

a couple of handfuls of spinach (*)

a handful of pineapple sage leaves

a scattering of pineapple sage blooms

Liliko'i (passion fruit) vinaigrette

(*) I used a combination of Malabarand Moluccan (Dawn Dewa or Sambung Nyawa) spinach from our garden. The pineapple sage leaves and blooms also came from our garden. The passion fruit vinaigrette was also made from fruit collected from our yard.

Pick and wash the greens early in the morning. Pat dry with paper towels and refrigerate stored in separate Ziploc bags until ready to put the salad together.

Slice the heart of palm stem in thin slices. Store the heart of palm slices, covered in refrigerator until ready to assemble the salad.

Scatter the Malabar spinach around the platter. Take bunches of the Moluccan (Dawn Dewa) spinach and cut into a thin chiffonade (*). Scatter some over the Malabar spinach and save some to scatter over the sliced heart of palm.

Scatter some of the pineapple sage leaves over the two other spinach.

Place the sliced heart of palm on top of the greens and then scatter a bit more of the chiffonade of Moluccan (Dawn Dewa) spinach and a few more pineapple sage leaves on top. Scatter the red blooms of the pineapple sage over all.

Drizzle with the liliko'i (passion fruit) vinaigrette.

(*) A chiffonade of greens is actually any fresh greens that have been cut in thin ribbons. To make a chiffonade, take a handful of green leaves: basil, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, etc. and loosely wad up under your hand over a cutting board. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a Santuko knife) and with rocking motions, cut across the wad of greens to make thin slices to form the ribbons.

Liliko'i Vinaigrette

We have a couple of wild vines growing on the property and during season, I collect a few everyday. I cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp and save in a plastic container in the refrigerator until I have a full container.

Strain through a stainless steel mesh sieve, pushing with a wooden spoon to get as much of the juice and pulp as possible and collect it in a glass or ceramic bowl.

In a sauce pan bring the juice and sugar to boil. Amount of sugar depends on your own taste and acidity of the fruit. When it boils, turn it down and reduce it to intensify the flavor. Add small amount of white vinegar, again to taste. Let it cook at a slow boil for a few minutes, turn the heat off and cool. Store in glass cruet or sealed glass carafe in the refrigerator. It will last several weeks.

September 04, 2017

During these really hot days of summer (I wonder why they're called 'dog days of summer'?) we like nothing better than tall, ice cold glasses of refreshing and thirst quenching 'agua fresca'.

Agua = water

Fresca = fresh

(spelled fresco when used with a 'masculine noun' like queso fresco:

queso = cheese

fresco = fresh

Spanish is funny like that... )

You can make 'agua fresca' from any fruit by just combining with water and a bit of sugar, honey, or sugar cane juice, if needed to sweeten it up a bit... I like using a simple syrup most of the time. Lemon, oranges, or lime, watermelon, passion fruit, guavas, mangoes...even peaches, nectarines...etc...when combined with water and a sweetener is an agua fresca.

One of our favorites is the Pineapple Agua Fresca. The pineapple in this case, serves triple purpose for the price of one.

We buy a pineapple at the farmers market or use one of our own when they become harvestable; peel and cut it up to eat, but I save the top for planting, and the peelings for making the agua fresca.., Win-Win-Win!

Pineapple Aqua Fresca

This is one of our favorites. It is the easiest and most delicious summer cooler, ever. The twist is that you get to eat the pineapple and make “juice” too!

1 medium sized ripe pineapple

8 C water (1/2 gallon)

1/4 C sugar

Mint sprig

Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple and reserve. Peel the rest of the pineapple, leaving a bit of pulp attached, and reserve. Cut the pineapple in chunks or in long slices from top to bottom, cutting off the core and reserve.

Use the fresh fruit any way you would like. Place the peel, bottom, and core in a non-reactive pot, add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cool and strain into a pitcher, squeezing as much liquid as possible from the peel pieces and the core. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serve over ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Yield: 4 tall glasses

Note: Plant the top of the pineapple in the garden and compost the rest of the peel.

May 11, 2017

Breakfast meals and brunches are usually some of the hardest to put together when hosting a group, be it family or guests; especially for the inexperienced cook, since most or all the dishes on the menu need to be ready at the same time.

My solution is to make several lists!

First decide how many people you feel comfortable inviting at one time. Make a list.

Can you sit everyone at table or should you serve buffet style? Do you have tablecloths, napkins, enough matching dishes, flatware and glassware or will you be using disposable serving ware? (*) Make a list of the items you will need for the type menu planned.

Make your guest lists and send the invitations at lease 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Remember your guests might have very busy lives and need to plan ahead of time. Be sure to specify a day at least a week ahead of the brunch for the RSVP deadline. Â It will make it easier on you to know that far ahead how many to expect.

Plan the menu around a few simple ideas or be as elaborate as you feel capable; just make sure you are comfortable with the plan. After deciding on menu, make three lists; one for the menu broken down into recipes for each dish; one for the grocery staples that can be bought ahead and one for the fresh items you need only a day or two before.

To make the process easier, take each recipe apart, item by item and place the items on the appropriate list, ie: " Staples or Last Minute.

Make lists on what can or should be done when and post them on a planning board either in the kitchen or your office space", along with a good calendar with large squares so that you can put on each date what can be done that day.

By looking at the menu list and the grocery lists you can decide what staples can be bought even a week or two before the brunch. Buy them and store with notes of 'do not touch' if you have family members who make use of your pantry stock.

A few days before the brunch, look at your menu again and take each recipe apart, step by step, and see what can be done (prep or cooked) a day or even two ahead.

Peel and chop veggies and store them in individual plastic baggies until needed. Things like bacon can be fried a day or two ahead, wrapped and stored in fridge. Hard-boiled eggs can be done and even peeled a day or two ahead. Poached eggs can be done a day ahead and stored in bowls of water in the fridge, then taken out and placed in warm water an hour or two before they are needed.

The day before the brunch start setting your table(s); pull out and wash all the dishes, flatware, glasses and serving ware you will need. Start placing them where you need them.

Buy or make your table arrangements. Be creative. Don't fall back on the usual, but look for items around the house that will fit the theme and use them to liven up your table.

By doing as much as possible during the weeks, days and hours before your guests are scheduled to arrive; you will have accomplished most of the work and will be less harried and also less apt to make last minute mistakes...and if you make mistakes, they happen even to the most seasoned cooks, so go with the flow and don't worry about it. Probably only you will know that you made them.

My last advice is this; don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy your party!

Lists needed:

Guest list

Menu list

Grocery list

Serving ware list

Beverage list

(*) If you opt for disposable, there are companies that sell compostable serving ware, from dishes to napkins to flatware. Some of them in pretty designs!

In today's lifestyles so full of clutter and trash, try to be a bit green and do your part. If you don't compost, find a friend or neighbor that does and would be happy to take the compostable serving ware from you.